More Or Less
by perniciosorem
Summary: For a thousand years, Marceline wandered from place to place, from person to person, and never quite finding the right fit. After a thousand years, it seems she found it… more or less.


Having lived a thousand years, Marceline could watch everyone she knew grow and eventually die… more or less. Most of the time the people she met were just fleeting, meant to pass the time and while away a couple of years of her existence. She'd never stay long enough for them to die, and it won't hurt that way. Hurt was the last thing Marceline needed.

Her time with Bonnie was long past, but she found herself going to the Candy Kingdom anyway with the newfound knowledge that the candy princess treasured their friendship still… more or less. Marceline floated past the row of Banana Guards keeping watch over the kingdom gates while its citizens slept and did whatever it is candy people did aside from throwing parties and throwing more parties. She followed the centre turret upward until she saw a room that was clearly bathed in purples and pinks despite it being darkly lit.

"Yikes," she remarked to herself, a smirk threatening to come out. She'd never seen the princess' room before but always figured it would be so… pink.

There was nothing to worry about, and she was already there floating outside the window. She rapped her knuckles on the window of spun sugar and crossed her arms. Inside the room she could see the princess wake up, turn her bedside lamp on, and rub her eyes. Marceline knocked on the window again and Bonnie turned quite sharply to the sound, opening the window moments after recognising it was Marceline.

"What are you doing here?" Bubblegum's voice was faint and riddled with sleep. She walked back to the bed but sat down instead of lying on it. Marceline followed and laid down perpendicular to Bonnie's body, head resting in the princess' lap. She closed her eyes and allowed a small smile to rest on her face. It reminded her of all the times she regarded Princess Bubblegum as an older sister of sorts because she was evidently the more responsible one and the one who thought more about politics and cultural relations and a bunch of other boring royal matters.

"It's the middle of the night," came Bonnie's voice. It sounded insistent and already Marceline could feel her bubblegum body tense up in discomfort.

Marceline reminded her, "I'm a vampire. Maybe you're not a total genius like everybody things you are." She could hear the indignant _humph_ Bubblegum made. It made her smile all the wider. "Tell me about the Candy Corn Knight."

"The what?"

"You know, the story you told me when you were eight. The knight who lived in your kitchen? He had a sword made of lollipop? _Re-mem-ber_?"

"Oh." Princess Bubblegum, perhaps in a hurry to rid herself of the vampire, began to tell the story. "There was once a candy corn man who worked in the royal kitchens," she started. There was a pause where Marceline guessed she tried to remember how the rest of the story went. Because it wasn't royal matters or science, it probably wasn't important enough to the princess, but Marceline remembered.

"He was tasked to make the princess' meals everyday and bring it to her wherever she was. Sometimes he found her in the royal gardens or in the cotton candy forest. Some days she was in a meeting or in the library. He never failed in his duty and always brought the princess her meals. The princess found him very annoying, however."

She mused. Her fingers travelled to Marceline's jet-black hair, picking out strands and letting it fall. She repeated the rhythm: _123, 123, 123_ like she was playing music with it.

"He was only doing what he told to do, she knew, but she wished he did a poorer job of it. She didn't like it when he waited until she finished eating to leave."

"Heck, I wouldn't either. He's being creepy," Marceline interjected between soft hums that barely intercepted the story.

"I thought you wanted me to finish the story," scolded Bonnie.

Marceline, more or less chastised, went back to her humming, and Bonnibel went back to her story.

"The princess didn't know that the candy corn man was actually in love with her."

Marceline bit her tongue to keep from remarking. It was a terrible story, really, but it seemed okay enough when Bonnie was only eight years old. Maybe that's why Bonnie chose to forget about it – it didn't exactly meet her impeccably high standards.

The princess continued, "The candy corn man knew it was a hopeless cause. Because she was a princess, he couldn't possibly hope to marry her. Instead, he vowed to protect her whenever he can. He will be her hero, he decided."

It sounded like Finn… more or less. Again Marceline refrained herself from saying it aloud. The princess was still playing with her hair. The vampire realised she rather liked the sensation of her hair being plucked. It felt relaxing.

"So he stole some graham crackers from the royal kitchens and made it into his armour. For his sword he went all the way to the Cotton Candy Forest to get it. It was a lollipop that would destroy evil. He plucked it from its shrub and went back to the castle."

A lollipop that would destroy evil, huh. Must be a really cute lollipop, then.

"Back in the castle, he stood outside the princess' door and guarded her while she slept. In the morning, she realised the candy corn man wasn't there to serve her breakfast. She went out of her room to look for him, but she saw him by the door in his graham cracker armour and lollipop sword. The sight of him was so funny that she laughed."

"Gee, that wasn't really nice," Marceline finally commented.

Bonnie ignored her. "Of course, the candy corn man was really sad that the princess wasn't taking him seriously. He told her that he was doing it to protect her because he loved her and wanted to be her hero. The princess, after realising the worthiness of the candy corn man, named him her Candy Corn Knight, so he can protect her as long as he lived. The end."

"Not very romantic, but then again, he was a lowly servant and she was a princess."

"Shut up, Marceline. I made it up when I was eight."

"Well, are you any better now?" countered Marceline with a smirk. Bonnie hadn't stopped playing with her hair, fingers stuck to the rhythm they made.

Bonnibel, refusing to back down from a challenge, launched into another story. Marceline, for the meantime, enjoyed the moment. It felt like home… more or less.


End file.
